Billiards is a game which has been enjoyed by many people for many years. It can be enjoyed at home or in a social setting such as a pool hall. It is primarily a recreational game participated in by players of all skill levels. It can be played professionally as well.
Regardless of the billiards player's skill level, the player's competitive nature drives the player to want to achieve a higher level. Playing the game for extensive time periods can be beneficial. At some point, though, the billiards player must do more. It is all too common that the player reaches a certain skill level and just cannot go beyond that level regardless of how often the game is played.
Most billiards players are self-taught. Some players may benefit from the advice of an onlooker or perhaps from reading an instructional manual on the subject. Various equipment aids have been developed and suggested for improving one's billiards game. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,851,876, 5,238,457, 5,275,398, 6,267,685, and 6,746,336 all disclose products for use while playing the game. They primarily aid in properly holding or aligning the cue prior to hitting a cue ball. U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,708,577, 5,125,652, 6,132,319, U.S. Publication No. 2006/0189397A1, and U.S. Design Pat. No. DES 312,290 disclose practice aids. They primarily provide a means for the player to develop a better stroke. It is well known that the first step in attaining a high skill level is to develop a cue stroke which is level and which precisely strikes the cue ball at a desired spot. The known practice aids appear either too expensive for the average player or too cumbersome to use. Also, none accommodate differing skill levels.
In accord with a need, there has been developed a practice aid for billiards players. The practice aid is economical to produce, easy to understand, effortless to use, and conducive to creating a repetitive stroke. Most importantly, it can be used by players of different skill levels with means for incremental adjustments until cue stroke perfection has been consistently achieved.